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Bulldog Solutions Launches BullBlog, Online Forum for B-to-B Marketers
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February 2007, Issue 36 |
Featured Article
The Three "Do's" of Lead-Generation Podcasting
By Justin Burrows, Product Manager, Bulldog Solutions
A crucial part of the Web 2.0 Internet generation's experience, podcasting presents an extraordinary opportunity for B2B marketers to extend their reach and optimize their lead-generation initiatives. In fact, podcasts are a great tool to reach out to new audiences that may have previously missed out on your message. Because podcasts are highly portable and convenient to access, they are ideal for C-level and other highly mobile targets. They blend the dynamic and fresh content of live events with the convenience and linkability of archived resources.
Follow these simple rules and you'll soon be on your way to bolstering your company's thought leadership position and generating qualified leads for your sales program.
#1 DO Establish Performance Metrics
At Bulldog, if we can't measure it, we won't do it. If you want to incorporate podcasting into your lead-generation program, consider how you can apply the same ROI and lead management as you would your other lead-generation initiatives. In other words, ask yourself the following questions before diving in headfirst: What do you expect to achieve with your podcast? Leads? Brand awareness? What type of message do you want to deliver? How will you measure performance? Even if performance metrics are basic, they are critical to the success of all modes of lead generation. Anything else is speculation.
#2 DO Optimize Your Podcasts with Syndication Technologies
Podcasts are, in essence, audio or video episodes, delivered (or "pushed") to subscribers, who can access the latest podcast at their convenience. There are many free podcast players (also referred to as "podcatchers") available, the most well-known being iTunes.
But remember: Podcasts aren't just MP3s or audio downloads. They're designed to take advantage of syndication technologies, including several XML-based languages such as RSS (Really Simple Syndication), as well as data tagging formats including ID3v2 and iTunes. Even a podcast with the most well-designed landing page on a company's own site can limit its external visibility (or footprint) to its target audience. Optimizing your podcast to take advantage of syndication and content tagging technology can drastically increase the visibility of your podcast program.
And despite what the name suggests, podcasts do not require an iPod, or any other type of portable player for that matter. In fact, the vast majority of podcast subscribers listen to podcasts on their computers and not on portable devices. Nevertheless, many podcasts are easily transferable to portable devices, especially if they are in sync with the subscriber's music software.
#3 DO Embrace a Changing Web 2.0 Universe
Podcasts are still rapidly evolving with several competing and not always inter-compatible standards. As these standards evolve (RSS, Atom, iTunes, etc.), so do the number of features supported by podcast players. Make sure your lead-generation podcasting campaign is ready to take advantage of new features as they become supported by major podcast players.
If you're thinking about a DIY approach to podcasting, a word of caution: Because of the syndicated nature of podcasts (one podcast appearing in several different places), one can't always anticipate what a podcast will end up looking like when it is finally accessed by the target audience. Formats and features change rapidly, and interoperability can't be guaranteed and can rapidly overwhelm the do-it-yourself B2B podcaster.
Bulldog Solutions provides an easy way to extend your company's thought leadership message into the Web 2.0 universe. Our ThoughtCasting Lead-Generation Podcasting Series is a complete podcast program with registration, lead scoring, subscription support and rich embedded data, including links to additional resources, ensuring a rich experience for end users. It's designed to present a professional appearance in all major podcast players and aggregators, including iTunes, My Yahoo!, Google Reader, netvibes, NewsGator and Juice (formerly iPodder), among many others.
The end result is a fully featured, professional-quality podcast series that bolsters your company's thought leadership position while providing qualified leads to your sales team.
Justin Burrows is product manager at Bulldog Solutions, the lead-generation optimization and management company. Visit www.bulldogsolutions.com to learn more.
Know a colleague who would be interested in this topic? Send this newsletter to a friend.
Marketing Watchdog Journal is a monthly newsletter from Bulldog Solutions, a lead optimization and lead management company dedicated to helping our clients generate more, better leads and turn them into revenue. You may have noticed this newsletter has a new look and a new focus. We welcome your feedback on the revamped content and design, and encourage you to share your ideas for topics you would like us to cover in future issues. Please send your comments to Amy Bills, director of corporate marketing communications.
For more information on Bulldog Solutions, please contact Russell Griffin, sales director.
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About Bulldog Solutions, LLC. © 2007 Bulldog Solutions. All rights reserved. |